Turbot ‘Getaria’, Basque potatoes

On a visit to the Basque region of Spain, I sat outside a fantastic restaurant in Getaria, and watched huge turbots being cooked on a magnificent barbecue. The taste was something else and I was determined to try and recreate the dish when I got home. Cooking a whole turbot is something you should have a go at; I know it’s not cheap but it will be worth every penny, I promise. The potatoes are a simple Basque staple.

Ingredients

Quantity

Ingredient

1

turbot, about 3 kg

500ml

olive oil

300ml

white wine vinegar

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the Basque potatoes

Quantity

Ingredient

3

large potatoes, peeled and sliced

olive oil, for cooking

1

white onion, peeled and chopped

2

garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2

red peppers, peeled, cored, deseeded and sliced

500ml

see method for ingredients

2 tablespoons

chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

For the potatoes, preheat your oven to 180°C. Heat a frying pan large enough to take all the potatoes (or use two pans) over a medium-high heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic and red peppers and fry for 4–5 minutes until starting to brown. Add the potato slices and fry for 2 minutes, adding a little more oil if needed.

Transfer the contents of the pan to an oven dish, pour on the hot chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, light the barbecue 30 minutes before you plan to cook the fish.

Combine the olive oil and wine vinegar in a bottle or jar and give it a good shake.

When the coals are white hot, season the fish liberally with salt and place it in a large fish clamp. Put the fish on the barbecue and cook for a total of 15 minutes, turning and basting with the oil and vinegar mix every 2–3 minutes.

When the fish is nearly cooked, remove from the heat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before eating. Serve the turbot whole on a warmed platter with the potatoes on the side.